First person to receive a red card in English Football dies

Absurdistan

Amazed that the red card didn't start till 1976.

Dave Wagstaffe: Former Wolves winger dies aged 70. R.I.P

Wolves great Dave Wagstaffe has died at the age of 70 after a short illness.
Winger Wagstaffe came through the Manchester City youth system, but spent 12 years of his career at Molineux.
He made a total of 324 league appearances for the club, and was part of their 1974 League Cup-winning side that beat his former team Man City 2-1 in the final at Wembley.
He left Wolves in 1976 for Blackburn, where he became the first player to receive a red card in English football.
During his time at Molineux, Wagstaffe was also part of the team that finished runners-up to Tottenham in the 1972 UEFA Cup, scoring in the second leg of the final.
After leaving Wolves, the winger had two spells at Blackburn, either side of a brief period at Blackpool.
"Everyone at Wolves was desperately saddened to hear of Dave's passing," Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey told the club website.
"Our sincere condolences go to Dave's partner Val, their children, Gary, Mandy and Scott, and Dave's wider family.
"Everybody at the club and supporters will get the chance to join together to pay tribute to Dave ahead of our game with Gillingham on Saturday."

Bedsaddick

Didn't Keegan and Bremner get red cards in 1974 charity shield ?

Lincsaddick

A decent player was 'the other Waggy' ... RIP

SheffieldRed

Bedsaddick said:

Didn't Keegan and Bremner get red cards in 1974 charity shield ?

Sent from the field, but the red card may not have been used at that point in English football.

Lincsaddick

Wagstaffe was the first .. and the second ? ...... George Best

Brendan_O_Connell

RIP Waggy.

hawksmoor

Now this got me thinking, and after a quick internet search, I turned up this:

Cards were first used in the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico. The first player in the Football League to see red was David Wagstaff, playing for Blackburn Rovers at Orient on Saturday October 2nd 1976. Later that afternoon George Best, playing for Fulham at Southampton, was also red-carded.

For a period between the 1980/81 and 1987/88 season the use of red and yellow cards was suspended in the Football League.

Bedsaddick

hawksmoor said:

For a period between the 1980/81 and 1987/88 season the use of red and yellow cards was suspended in the Football League.

Really ? I don't remember that at all.

hawksmoor

Exactly. That was the most intriguing thing, and the article just finished there. No details as to the reasons why cards were suspended for those two seasons. I need to investigate further.

Riviera

People were still booked and sent off, the cards were just for the crowd.

LenGlover

A very good winger second only to our own Len Glover as an Engish left winger from c 66-76 in my opinion.

A shame Alf Ramsey decided he didn't like wingers but, given his record, you can't knock it.

RIP

Rizzo

Misread the thread title and thought this was some new initiative from the FA.

Bedsaddick

Rizzo said:

Misread the thread title and thought this was some new initiative from the FA.

Very good

mistrollingin

Wagstaffe was a very effective, old style, winger. Pretty sure he played against us in the 5th round FA Cup match at their place in 1976.

operationpig

hawksmoor said:

For a period between the 1980/81 and 1987/88 season the use of red and yellow cards was suspended in the Football League.

I can't remember this, I can also remember Kevin Moran being the first to be red carded at Wembley in an FA Cup final.